Infant&#39;s gown



M- C- BOYCE INFANTS GOWN Oct. 14, 1952 3 Sheet -Sheet 1 Filed March 23, 1949 INVENTOR (zi @gyce Oct. 14, 1952 M. c. BOYCE 2,513,359

INFANTS GOWN Filed March 23, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Opt. 14, 1952 M. c. BOYCE ,6 9

INFANTS GOWN Fi led March 25, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Oct. 14, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE V 2,613,359

INFANTS GOWN Mabel C. Boyce, Danbury, Conn.

Application March 23, 1949, Serial No. 83,050

The present invention relates to an infants gown.

A purpose of the invention is to facilitate the application and removal of an infant's gown for day or night wear.

A further purpose is to provide adequate protection for the child, with due consideration for comfort, while at the same time making the garment simple to produce and attractive to wear.

A further purpose is to minimize the number of fastenings required while making a maximum range of adjustment possible.

A further purpose is to avoid, as'far as possible, seams which will be located immediately below the body and which might cause chafing or other discomfort.

A further purpose is to provide a minimum of sleeve seam under the body.

A further purpose is to produce a wrap-around gown having a closed bottom, while permitting wide opening to assist in dressing and undressing the infant. f

A further purpose is to make the garment reversible.

A further purpose is to employ a rear panel and front and back overlapping panels secured to the rear panel at the sides and bottom, but capable of opening at the top, with the sleeve desirably forming part of the rear panel, uniting the sleeves to the front panel by a diagonal seam.

A further purpose is to accomplish adjustment of the garment at the waist by a belt secured to the inner front panel on the side remote from the attachment to the rear panel, extending through a belt opening'adjacent the line of attachment between the outer front panel and the rear panel and to anchor the belt at' the opposite side of the outer front panel.

Further purposes appear in the specification and in the claims.

In the drawings I have chosen to illustrate one only of the numerous embodiments in which my invention may appear, choosing the forms shown from the standpoints of convenience in illustration, satisfactory operation and clear demonstration of the principles involved.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the gown of the invention in closed position, the ends of the sleeves being broken away.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of Figure 1 with the garment in closed position.

Figure 3 is a front elevation similar to Figure 1 except that the front panels have been opened to show the position in which the infant can be laced in the garment.

outer front panel is made.

2 Claims. (Cl. 269.5)

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the garment being worn by a child.

Figure 5 is a developed plan of the blank which forms the rear panel and sleeves.

Figure 6 is a plan of the blank from which the inner front panel is made.

Figure 7 is a plan of the blank from which the Figure 8 is a plan showing the first seam between the sleeve and the inner front panel.

Figure 9 is a plan showing the second seambetween the outer front panel and the other sleeve.

Figure 10 is an enlarged section of Figure l on the line Ill-l0.

Figure 11 is an enlarged section of Figure 2 on the line Illl.

Figure 12 is an enlarged fragment of Figure 11.

Describing in illustration but not in limitation and referring to the drawings:

In the prior art, the problem of dressing an infant both for night wear and for the day has presented serious difficulties. The garment worn should, be safe, should provide adequate ;protection, should be comfortable to wear and easy to put'on and take off. The construction should also be simple and the garment should be as adaptable as possible. Attractiveness is animportant requisite. Many prior art garmentshave been unduly complicated in design, lirh'itedlin application and difficult or cumbersome both from the standpoint of the wearer and from the standpoint of the mother or nurse in dressing or undressing the infant.

The gown of the present invention is suitable for use as a nightgown or can equally wellbe employed for normal day wear. The construction is simple and the gown is inexpensive both from the standpoints of material and workmanship. Coverage of the'wearer is unusually complete and danger through misplacing the garment and causing exposure of the legs orgother parts of the body is avoided. The chance of choking or otherwise harming the child is reduced to a' minimum. The garment is also very comfortable from the standpoint of the wearer.

An unusual feature of the gownof thejpresent invention is the ease and facility with which it can beput on and taken off. The garment can also be reversed. The gown is quite attractive for day or night wear.

In the gown of the present invention the wraparound plan has been adoptedusing overlapping front panels. The bottom is closed, but the panels open wide at the top. The width at the bottom is at least as wide as the width at the waist; thus allowing ample space to permit the child to kick and thus exercise the legs.

Insertion of the child into the garment is very easy, as the child can be placed face up or face down on the so-called rear panel, after which the arms can readily be inserted in the sleeves and the normal front panels can be closed.

The number of fastenings is reduced to a minimum and the'belt passing through a belt opening aids in fastening the garment together. The garment is preferably provided with a high neck and a button or other fastening is conveniently located at one side of the neck. The belt is ad: justable for variation of size of the infant. The

presence of seams beneath the body a normal lying position on the front or back has been re duced to a minimum, the only seams being the short diagonal sleeve seams at each side.

The sleeve is preferably made integral with th rear panel, and. the diagonal seams join the sleeve to the respective normal-front panels.

In designating the panels as rear-panels and front panels it is intended to designate them in accordance with thenormal' positionof the garment, with the'beltat the back, it being understood, however, that where the garment is reversed the panels willof course correspondingly be reversed. V v Thegarment'of the invention consists of a rear panel having integral therewith sleeves- 21 on eitherside ofa neck'portion 22. The rear panel suitably has a waist 23 and a bottom at at least as wide and preferably wider than the waist to permit the child to move his legs. The material of the sleeves as seen in Figures 5, 8 and 9 is adequateto form the entire sleeve without requiring inserts.

The rear panel has on either side of the neck diagonal diverging cut lines 25 which, when the sleeve is folded over as later explained, produce diagonal seam lines for connection with the front panels. u v

An inner front anel 26 has a diagonal upperedge 21 which is adapted to mate with the co'rrespon ding diagonal edge 25 on the sleeve,

and hasa slightly diverging; outer edge which is adapted to cooperate with the slightly diverging sides, 30 of the rear panel to make a side seam. The bottom 3| er the inner front panel; is desirably in conformity with the bottom 24 of the r'ear panel. The inner edge 32 of the inner front panel is conveniently'transverse to the bottom. A diagonal top edge- 33 on the inner front panel extends across below theneck. I

The outer front panel 34 is conveniently an opposite counterpart of the inner front panel inmost respects Itjhas a 'diagonal edge 34' corresponding tothe edge 21 on the i'nnerfront panel an'd adapted to engage the other sleeve. A slightly diverging outer edge '35 corresponds to the edge 28 on the inner front panel and is connected to the rear panel, The bottom 36 desirably conforms with the bottom 24 on the rear panel. The remote edge 31 is suitably at right anglesto the bottom and corresponds with the edge 32. on the inner front panel. A diagonal edge '38' on the outer front panel issuitably carried at about the same diagonal as the edge 34 but opposite thereto. A neck portion between the diagonal top edges 34. and 38 suitably conforms to the neck portion on the rear panel.

In. assembling the panels, the sequence indicated in Figures '8 and 9 can conveniently be followed, using the components illustrated in Figures 5, 6 and 7. Thus the diagonal edge 25 at one side of the neck of the rear panel is stitched to the diagonal edge 21 on the inner front panel by a stitch line 4!, after which the left sleeve is turned down along a fold line 42 (Figure 9), and a side and sleeve seam between the outside edge 28 of the inner front panel and one of the sides 30 of the rear panel is stitched at 43 up the side and extending around under the sleeve at 43'. Similarly on the outer front panel, the diagonal edge 34 is joined to the opposite diagonal edge 25 of the rear front panel adjoining the sleeve alonga stitched line 44 as shown in Figure 9, after which the outer front panel is folded down over the inner front panel, folding the sleeve down along a fold line 45 (Figure 2), and the outer front panel side 35 is stitched to one of thesidesSU of therear panel along a stitch line 46 which is extended up under the bottom of the sleeve at 4] to close the sleeve (Figure 2).

Finally the bottoms ofthe inner front, outer front panel and "rear panel are joined along a stitch line 48, closing the bottom as best seen in Figures l and 2. I

It will be evident connection with all of the above that. fiat fell seams are desirably used and thataltedgeswill desirably be finished by bias tapeor otherbinding 50 suitably extending around the neck, around the exposed edges of the panels and over all seams as well as at the ends of theslefeves. I

Belt 5| is secured at 52 (Figure 3 at about the Waist line on the inner edge 32 of the inner front panel opposite to the side 28 of the front panel which'is-s'e'cured to the rear panel. Adjoining theseam 'line 46 between the outer front panel and th'e rear panel and at the waist, a beltopening 5311sprovided'throughthe panels, which permits the belt to extend out at the side under the outer front panel, after which it is carried around the back and engaged in a belt retainer or loop 54 at, about the waist line on theedge 3'1 of the outer front panel opposite to theedge 3 5 which is stitched to the rear panel. The belt is then fastenedas by looping the end back andfsecuring it to, itself, for example by a button 55 engagingin a buttonhole 56. For adjustment purposes an alternate button 5'! maybe provided. Any other suitable fastening for. the end of. the belt may be used.

Toclose the neck at the outer front panel; a suitable fastening. is provided, such as a buttonhole 58 engaging a button 60. on the neck at about the seam between the inner front panel and the sleeve. ,Any other suitable fastening may be used. I v

In order to place the child in the garment, it will be noted that the inner and outer front panels are capableof opening wide as. in Figure 3. With the belt outof the way,the infants body can be placed-back downward or face downward on the rear paneL depending upon whether it is desired to place the garment on the child in the normal or reversed'position. The child can then rest perfectly comfortably and need-notbe moved in the further steps of wrapping the garment around the child's body. T-hearms can conveniently be pulled through the sleeves, the sleeves being preferably large enough to admit the hand of an adult. The inner front panel is then spread over the-body of the child, and the belt carried through the belt opening 5,3. The outer front panel is then likewise spread; over the child's body, after which the child is raised or turned sufficiently to permit carrying the belt around the rear panel and engaging it in the belt retainer or loop 54, and then fastening the end of the belt on itself by means of the buttonhole 58 and button 55 or 57 or other fastening.

The garment can then b completely secured by buttoning at the neck. It will be noted that since the bottom is sewed shut, the child cannot become uncovered no matter how hard he kicks, but ample space is provided for exercise of the legs.

The continuous construction of the sleeve which runs straight across from left to right is very simpl and convenient, while at the same time providing adequate space for motion of the arms and preventing danger of tightening the arment around the neck when the child exercises his arms.

The small number of fastenings makes it possible to put the garment on or take it off very readily. The ready adjustability of the belt allows a takeup or adjustment for children of different sizes, or to allow for growth of a child.

Adequate coverage around the shoulders is provided by the high neck. v The very short shoulder seams 21 and 44 are the only seams under the body, and therefore there is very little chance of causing discomfort through roughness of the seams. The integral character of the sleeve with the back aids in eliminating seams.

It will be evident, of course, that any other suitable fastening than buttons can be employed if desired.

The garment is capable of manufacture in any fabric, which is soft enough to be comfortable for use by an infant. Canton-flannel is recommended as a good material but it will be evident that other suitable materials such as outing-flannel, Seersucker or cotton may be employed.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such insofar as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An infant's gown comprising a rear panel and sleeves integral with the rear panel, each sleeve having an undersleeve seam which joins the sleeve into a tubular formation, an inner front panel immediately adjoining the rear panel in closed position, stitched to one sleeve alon a diagonal seam, free from the other sleeve, stitched to the rear panel along one side and the bottom and loose at the other side, an outer front panel immediately adjoining and overlapping the inner front panel in closed position, stitched to the other sleeve along a diagonal, stitched to the rear panel along the other side and bottom, and loose at the one side, the sleeves at the top extending substantially straight across and there being a neck recess at the top in the space between the sleevesfthe front panels opening wide at the top so that an infant can rest on the rear panel without discomfort from any back sleeve seams while the gown is being taken off or put on.

2. An infant's gown comprising a rear panel and sleeves integral with the rear panel, each sleeve having an under-seam which joins it into a tubular form, an irmer front panel immediately adjoining the rear panel in closed position, having a diagonal seam to one of the sleeves. united at one side and at the bottom to the rear panel, and free at the other side, an outer front panel immediately adjacent to and overlapping the inner front panel in closed position, having a diagonal seam at the other side to the other sleeve united at the other side and the bottom to the rear panel and free at the one side, there being a belt opening along the side at which the outer front panel is united to the rear panel, a belt connected to the side of the inner front panel remote from the connection to the rear panel and extending through the belt opening, a belt loop at the side of the outer front panel remote from its connection with the rear panel, a belt fastening on the belt for securing the same on itself after it passes through the belt loop, and a neck fastening between the outer front panel and the inner front panel located at the side of the outer front panel remote from the connection of the outer front panel with the rear panel.

MABEL C. BOYCE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 471,478 Halford Mar. 22, 1892 998,122 Sato July 18, 1911 1,221,710 Earnshaw Apr. 3, 1917 1,821,185 Luery Sept. 1, 1931 2,096,913 Munro Oct. 26, 1937 2,173,344 Spanel Sept. 19, 1939 2,336,008 Goodman Dec. 7, 1943 2,373,415 Quinn Apr. 10, 1945 2,399,782 Asher May 7, 1946 2425 402 Sieloif Aug. 12. 1947 

